User:Dgiovag/sandbox/Illinois State University Mennonite College of Nursing

Mennonite College of Nursing is a very prestigious program that Illinois State University offers to students. In July of 1999, Mennonite College of Nursing became the sixth college at ISU. This program has offered many things to students who are in it. Undergraduates and graduate students have opportunities to work with nationally recognized nurse scientist faculty on their research.

Basics
There are many different programs offered within the college of nursing. The programs of study offered to undergraduates include: Traditional B.S.N., Accelerated B.S.N., and an online RN to B.S.N. The programs of study offered to graduate students include: Family Nurse Practitioner, Post FNP Certificate, Online Nursing Systems Administration, Clinical Nurse Leader, Ph.D. in Nursing, and a part-time, and Online Post-Mater's Doctor of Nursing. Graduates of Mennonite College of Nursing at Illinois State University achieved a 97% pass rate on the national nursing licensure examination. This program also offers a lot of hands on experiences like, doing clinical's and working in the hospital.

Admission Requirements
Students that are wanting to be in the Mennonite College of Nursing program typically apply their freshman year. Incoming freshman must apply to Illinois State as a freshman for direct admission into the major by designation: "Nursing (BSN) - Prelicensure Early Admit" as their major choice on their application. Admissions to this program is very difficult because there is limited space. Students are typically encouraged to apply for this program early because enrollment targets are met early on during the application period. Also when applying to this program students must meet the health and safety compliance requirements, to include drug testing, a criminal background check, a physical examination, and several immunizations. When applying as a transfer student most of the same rules that apply to freshman applicants, apply to transfer applicants as well.

Traditional B.S.N.
The ISU Traditional B.S.N. program is intended to help students get a better understanding of the general nursing roles that will take place later on in their career. Each semester of the academic year provides for the practice of skills and the application of knowledge through a variety of classroom, laboratory and clinical experiences.

Accelerated B.S.N.
The ISU Accelerated B.S.N. program is much like the traditional B.S.N. program, except it is a little bit more fast-paced. This program is designed for students who have completed a non-nursing bachelor's degree. This program also provides a unique opportunity for students interested in the nursing profession to earn a second bachelor's degree in nursing.

Family Nurse Practitioner
The ISU Family Nurse Practitioner is a program that is offered to graduate students only. This program prepares graduates to function in an advanced practice role for direct health care services that integrate preventive and self-care measures, as well as the diagnosis and management of commonly occurring acute and chronic health conditions. This program also included participation in and use of research, development, and implementation of health policy, and education of individuals and groups. The graduates in this program muse have a knowledge base on the following: Nursing theory, Advanced Pathophysiology, Pharmacotherapeutics, Epidemiology, Diagnosis Reasoning, Advanced Health Assessment, Research Roles, Legal/Ethical Issues, and Content and Clinical practice dealing with care across the lifespan.

Post FNP Certificate
The ISU Post FNP Certificate is a program option that is available for students who already hold a master's degree in nursing and wish to become licensed and practice as family nurse practitioners. The coursework that is required for this program varies for each student depending on their prior nursing education.

Nursing Systems Administration
The ISU Nursing Systems Administration is a program that prepares students to function at executive levels as innovative, collaborative leaders within changing health care environments. This program is offered online to help those nurses who are working the opportunity to complete the degree with a flexible schedule.

Clinical Nurse Leader
The ISU Clinical Nurse Leader is a program that prepares graduates to function as leaders within complex health care environments. This practice emphasizes on nursing leadership, client outcomes management, and care environment management. This program is also prepared as a generalist and functions at the microsystem level as provider and manager of care at the point of care delivery.

Ph.D. in Nursing
The ISU Ph.D. in Nursing is a program that prepares nurse researchers with expertise in vulnerable populations. It also prepared nurse serves the public by designing and conduction research on relevant clinical, educational, health systems, and health policy topics. Being in this program will help pursue research career in the academic, business, government, or industrial setting.

Doctor of Nursing Practice
The ISU Doctor of Nursing Practice is a program offered that prepares nurses with a blend of clinical, organizational, economic, health care improvement, and leadership skills to serve as clinical and/or administrative leaders in healthcare systems. This programs also helps graduates serve as educators in a variety of settings. The DNP program focuses on practice that is innovative and evidence-based, reflecting the application of credible research findings.

MCN Nursing Simulation Laboratory
The Nursing Stimulating Lab is a state-of-the-art learning center where students come to develop the competencies they will use in clinical practice. Students develop not only psychomotor skills, but participate in a variety of activities and scenarios that help strengthen critical thinking, decision making, delegation and team wok that prepare them for a complex hi-tech health care system. At MCN, students have two difference lab settings that allow them to practice their nursing competencies. The Health Assessment Labs are used by other undergraduate and graduate nurses. Undergraduates use this lane to learn how to perform basic health assessments on class partners and with high-fidelity and patient simulators, while graduate students learn advanced health assessment and diagnostic reasoning.

Goals
The Clinical Simulation Lab experience will

1. Provide a risk-free environment for student learners that reinforce critical thinking and decision making.

2. Enhance student's ability to promote patient safety and quality health care.

3. Increase clinical competence through selected critical thinking scenarios.

4. Improve performance, communication, and efficiency in clinical settings.

5. Encourage evidence based practice leading to improvement in clinical education.

6. Promote evidence-based competent decision making for professional practice.

7. Promote empowerment of the student in preparation for the clinical setting.

8. Facilitate debriefing and positive feedback to enhance student learning.

9. Encourage students to self-analyze their performance and use critical thinking during the reflection process.

10. Provide opportunities to enhance caring behaviors towards peers and patients.

Transcultural Nursing
The Transcultural Nursing experience allowed students the opportunity to examine nursing care in a location that is culturally different. This offers eligible nursing students the opportunity to participate in a 1-2 week transcultural experience, typically during the summer months. This experience provided an avenue for personal and professional growth beyond the traditional boundaries of classroom and clinical practicums. Locations include: Brazil, England, Russia, Kenya, Kentucky, Texas, and Chicago.

Scholarships
The Mennonite College of Nursing offers several scholarships for students accepted into the program. The scholarships that are offered and their information/requirements are located in the link attached.